Deal with the Devil
by pixienightingale
Summary: The manor was Mahina's second home before everything went wrong, before Bianca and Chris got engaged and then he lost her... can going back to the past to help him with his mission be what she needs to prove she loves him or will it makes things worse?
1. The Deal

Goddess, this house scared Mahina now; a place that as a child she would have given her left arm to live in. Halliwell Manor, now called Hell Manor by all those who dared, had turned into a dark and evil place since Wyatt Halliwell's change. A perpetual black cloud swirled above it, and there were always tremors in the city that originated from that spot.  
  
So why was Mahina Cromwell standing on the front porch? When she could be fairly, although not completely safe back across the street in her own home? Because there were more important things at stake than her life; she had a child to think about now, and had to get to its father before Wyatt chose to go back himself.  
  
She knocked, and the door just barely creaked open. Wyatt was more likely than not waiting for her, as he always seemed to be when she was the least likely to want him to be. Mahina walked inside the Manor, and headed up the stairs, keenly aware of the quiet around her; it was too quiet, and she feared she would be killed before the deal was made.  
  
The door to the attic was open, and saying a quick prayer to the souls of her mother and the Charmed Ones Mahina walked in; and there he was, just lounging back in his chair like everything was normal. He sat up when he caught sight of Mahina and eyed her, obviously intrigued by her presence.  
  
"Well, well, well," Wyatt said, standing up and walking over to Mahina, "if it isn't my old pal, Mahina." He took some of Mahina's hair and lifted it as he walked around her; it felt like a damn inquisition, but it would be worth it. "Come to try to kill me, have you? Figured that it would happen eventually, but didn't think it would be so... SOON." She couldn't hide her hatred for Wyatt; he'd killed her mother, and her sisters. Mahina knew that even asking him for one favor could mean she'd be his slave for the rest of her existence. Taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat and responded, "I'm not here to kill you Wyatt." Mahina paused. "I'm here to make a deal with you."  
  
Wyatt had walked back to his seat, and smirked back at her – obviously amused by her words. "Go on..." He leaned a bit forward, and ushered for her to come closer to him. Not wavering from her steady composition, Mahina walked about five steps more into the attic.  
  
"I want to go to the past." "To bring back my brother and watch me kill him?" Wyatt kept the smirk upon his face at these words, even though she had made no indication that his brother was her motivation. "I don't think so... I know you're in love with him."  
  
Something in his face told her that it wasn't the only thing he knew, but that was not Mahina's concern at the moment. What WAS her concern was that she had a child's life to save. Going back to the past was the only way that was going to happen. "I assure you, that it is no longer the case." Mahina walked forward some more. "He would be terrible for me, and I realized what a wonderful pair we could be." Goddess, she had never lied through her teeth so much since she was caught by her mother sneaking back into her room one morning. What she would give for a moment like that... but for the situation at hand.  
  
However, it did seem to fool Wyatt quite well, and he nodded. "What would I get in return?"  
  
Wasn't the fact he would get to kill his brother ENOUGH? Mahina sighed, and looked Wyatt in the eye. "I'll marry you and give you an heir." 


	2. Place and Time

Well, he'd fallen for it, and Mahina now had her book; unfortunately, he had also given her a time limit of seven days. Seven days, and then he would come, kill his brother himself, and make her watch every last second. Taking a deep breath, she stepped away from the window, and walked towards what had once been a spectacular altar.  
  
Unfortunately, the years Wyatt Halliwell had been in control had degraded the room, as well as the rest of her house. The last time Mahina had even stepped in the room was when he had taken her book, and killed her last remaining sister; that was nearly half a year ago, and Mahina could remember it like it was yesterday. That was the moment that kept her going now.  
  
Halliwell Manor and the past, Mahina told herself, here I come... She had taken the last few days, as she planned, to prepare the supplies she would need. In Halliwell manor the supplies had been plentiful, but this was a house which Wyatt ransacked because it wasn't where he would be. Luckily, her sisters and mother had managed to squirrel away some things that were hidden from even him. Clearing her throat, she lit the silver pillar candles, some honeysuckle and lotus incense, and placed her family's book on a low table in front of her.  
  
Eyes closed in deep concentration, she tried to channel what she was aiming for; the year two-thousand and four, she had to get there... Mahina opened her eyes, ready to begin. She ran her hands over the spell she intended to cast, remembering the last time she'd said it; Christopher Perry Halliwell was going to be glad she came, and rue the day she did - all at the same time. Enough of this, she thought, and back to business. With her clear, loud voice, Mahina recited the time travel spell:  
  
Here these words, here the rhyme.  
  
Heed the hope within my mind.  
  
Send me back to where I'll find,  
  
What I wish in place and time.  
  
In all honestly, Mahina had her doubts about her success in casting this spell; after all, the last time she HAD happened to cast it, a Halliwell had been present. And for a moment, she didn't think it would work, but Mahina kept focusing her power, taking from the book and everything that was still good that was around her. It was very faint, but she could even hear the voices of the women who had come before her, the ones who had died because warlocks and demons had come after them; Mahina heard Wyatt's mother and her sisters, giving strength even from their place on the other side of the veil. Then Mahina felt a shift and was drifting, hearing a soft jingle to it. When she opened her eyes, she was somewhere else; and it appeared to be Halliwell Manor... before it became a dark, evil place. "Oh goddess," she whispered, "It worked, it actually worked." She was in Halliwell Manor, and it was bright and sunny, nothing like she was used to recently.  
  
Mahina got up from where she was kneeling, steadying herself so as not to fall over, and orbed to the bay window. The house across the street, it was for sale. Her mother hadn't moved back to San Francisco yet, Wyatt must not be very old, and.... "Ahem..." Standing in front of her, in the doorway to the attic in Halliwell Manor, was one very aggravated looking Piper Halliwell; also, she was alive, but that took a second seat to the aggravation. "I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore..." were the only words that Mahina could manage to get out of her mouth, before Piper raised her hands and held them in a 'I'm going to blow you up' position. "Damn right you aren't, but who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?" 


	3. Negative Secrets

Under any other circumstances, Mahina would love to be stuck on a bench with Christopher Halliwell, but now was not one of those times. Now, she just wanted to toss him across the room with her telekinesis, and answer to the Charmed Ones. Mahina took a deep breath, and played with the edges of her shirt; Paige had made her take a pregnancy test as Chris' parents talked in the parlor.  
  
"Got the results," the half-lighter Charmed One said, walking over to who Mahina remembered as Pheobe, "gotta say, I think we should just vanquish her. Remember that last girl, Bianca?"  
  
Mahina's eyes widened – BIANCA had been here? She narrowed her eyes and looked at Chris, taking an utter joy and pleasure in how he sank down on the bench. "She was a HUNTER," she hissed, "you and your overactive libido couldn't keep it in your -"  
  
"ENOUGH."  
  
The command of Piper Halliwell's voice was enough to shock Mahina straight. She wasn't pleased, but at least she wasn't the only one getting glared at. However, Mahina saw the look she was getting from Chris' father... and she knew they both knew.  
  
Piper looked at Paige. "What are the results?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Yay? Or nay?"  
  
"Actually," Paige said, handing Piper the stick, "it came back negative." She gave a apologetic look to a now very shocked Mahina. "Sorry sweetie, I know you thought you were..."  
  
Mahina's eyes filled with tears; she wasn't pregnant... but shed missed periods. She may have been stressed, but not stressed enough for her periods to stop. And... no, she was still certain she was. Either way, her hands went to her belly in disbelief.  
  
"That's not all," Piper said, giving a look towards... was he her ex husband now? Mahina was fuzzy with that part of Chris' history. "Leo?"  
  
Chris' father, Leo, cleared his throat; oh no, he was going to tell Chris. He couldn't know, NO ONE knew... except for Gideon, but that wasn't for a good ten years... "Well," he said, scratching his head, "the elders told me that... uh... that you can orb."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Chris, listen to me, I..."  
  
"You what, Mahina?" Chris stood, and glared down at her. "Did you just forget that you were part white-lighter? Or did you just decide that you didn't trust me enough to tell me, huh?"  
  
Pheobe stepped in-between them; Mahina was very close to just blowing him across the room, and you could have been anyone in that foyer to know that. She took Chris a bit away from Mahina, letting Paige move into help, and said, "Chris, she came back to tell you she was pregnant..."  
  
"Oh, so she was going to hide it from my the rest of my life, huh?" Chris looked past Pheobe to direct his words at Mahina again, this time being held back by his father. "I told you everything, you know that? EVERYTHING."  
  
Paige wasn't able to stop Mahina from pushing past her and getting up in Chris' face. "You wanna know why I didn't tell you? Huh?" She poked a finger into his chest. "Because you were too busy chasing my sisters. Had you stopped for one SECOND to even consider that I had something to say other than what my sisters had for breakfast, MAYBE I would have told you." She brushed past him, and headed up the stairs. "I have better things to do Christopher Perry."  
  
Leo watched as Chris watched Mahina walk up the stairs. He'd been interrupted in the middle of what he found out from the elders, but he wasn't finished. Walking up behind Chris, he stuck a hand on his shoulder. "She made a deal to marry Wyatt," he told him, "made a deal so she could come back and help her protect her unborn children." 


	4. Stalled Outing

Mahina stood in front of a bathroom mirror later that evening, examining her reflection; she had let Paige Matthews do this to her, and she couldn't ever remember looking like this. Her long, curly blonde hair was now shoulder length and straight, her eyes appearing to pop out of her head. Goddess, she looked different...

What was she going to tell Chris she wondered as she made her way down the stairs, about the deal she had made... and how would he react now that the one secret she'd never told him was out? She didn't know who her father WAS so Mahina honestly didn't understand WHY it would have been so important to SAY anything. As she got to the landing on the stairs, she realized that SHE was the topic of conversation in the foyer.

"Leo, send her home. She doesn't belong here, it's dangerous."

MEN, Mahina thought, always thinking they knew what was best for women. Especially when it applied to her and Christopher Perry Halliwell; he always managed to make her feel like a child. "You know," she said, leaning against the railing, "I'm standing RIGHT behind you."

"Mahina I didn't-" Chris' sentence was cut short as he turned and looked towards her. Before she could even say anything, he was behind her and sticking his jacket around her shoulders. "Paige, what were you thinking? She can't go like... like..."

"Like WHAT?"

Before Chris could answer, Piper pointed her finger at them both, one at a time, slowly moving back and forth between them. "You two," she said, "are staying here. Wyatt needs to be watched by somebody, and who would be better than his brother and friend?"

Mahina could think of a couple people, right off the top of her head in fact, that were better suited to watch Wyatt Halliwell; she and Chris were the last to people anyone would want watching a baby. Speaking of babies, Mahina looked down towards her stomach, still not quite believing that she wasn't with child.

Piper then looked over towards – what was he again now? Mahina tried to remember, but just settled on her will-be-future-husband. She pointed her finger at him and said, "You, go talk to the elders, find out about why she's here and how to get her back damn it." She then turned her attention towards her sister. "We have a club to run, let's go."

Mahina and Chris both tried to protest, but to no avail, Before they could say anything, everyone was already gone. They looked at each other and orbed down to the bench in the foyer, sitting down. "Well," Mahina said, "how long has she known she's your mother again?"


	5. Morning Mayhem

They weren't very communicative since her parental secret came out, Mahina realized about Chris and herself the next morning, and it rubbed her raw that he was letting it affect him this much. As far as Mahina Amanda Marjorie Cromwell was concerned, Chris was as much to blame as she was; he hadn't ever told her about Bianca, so why did she have to share her heritage with HIM?

Despite her harsh feelings for Christopher Halliwell, Mahina realized it didn't make her love him any less; the thought that at least SOMEONE in the house understood the stupidity that is man, it was a comforting thought as Mahina stepped into the kitchen, the sight of the Charmed Ones greeting her.

"So," Paige asked as Mahina sat down, "how'd you sleep last night?" Mahina opened her mouth to answer, but Paige broke into her thoughts with another comment. "Damnit, why can't I have breasts like that?"

Mahina glanced down at her chest and flushed; she'd gotten her breasts from her grandmother her mother had said, but Mahina always wondered... she glanced up and gave Paige a small smile. "They weren't always," she answered, "and there are big disadvantages to having them..."

"Like the fact that there's no way Chris is letting you out of the house in anything less than loose pants and a sweater?" Phoebe finished, smirking over the rim of her coffee cup, and waiting to answer until after she'd taken a sip. "What? You were all thinking it, I can tell."

This would just be too much estrogen in the room for Chris, which was probably WHY he wasn't there at the moment; Paige had also let it slip that he was staying in a back room at P3, so he could just be sleeping in. Mahina frowned, knowing that hadn't been like Chris since Wyatt had taken over. Either way, there were obviously other things than where Chris was, as all the Charmed Ones were looking at Mahina like they expected her to say something. "What?" she asked, holding a spoon up so she could see her teeth as Piper placed a cup in front of her, "jelly donut stain?"

"Leo told us that you made a deal with Wyatt," Piper said, without even waiting for either Paige or Phoebe to even THINK of saying anything, "but WHY?"

Phoebe raised a hand, and then waved a finger at Mahina, who had opened her mouth to answer. "And don't," she said, "don't say because you just wanted to come back and see Chris. "The now middle Charmed One smiled. "We already knew that from the second you saw him."

"That obvious, huh?" All three Halliwells nodded their heads, and Mahina sighed; how could she tell them what Wyatt had become? She couldn't answer the questions that would come after, no matter how hard she tried. So, they would just have to know and ask Chris the questions.... It was time he went through the Spanish Inquisition that was the Charmed Ones. "Wyatt... he's..."

"Evil?" Piper made a "pfft" motion with her hand. "Sweetie, we can do evil."

"He's not just ANY evil..." Mahina stood from where she'd been seated and put her hands on the table. "...Wyatt Halliwell is the Source."

Piper dropped her cup; Phoebe stood there looking shocked; Paige... Paige seemed to have a mixture of both reactions. That of course, was the very moment that Chris orbed in. "Hey mom I-"his comment was stopped short as he saw the expressions of his mother, aunts, and even Mahina. "-Fuck, Mahina you DIDN'T." He walked over to her and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her a bit. "Please tell me you didn't..."

Mahina wriggled away from him, not even noticing the slow reactions of the Charmed Ones recovering from the news; she looked straight into Chris' eyes and glared at him. "You didn't do it," she told him, jabbing a finger into his ribs and pushing him back, "maybe if you had just done that from the very beginning – I wouldn't be in this mess right now!"

"You're trying to blame ME for you making that deal?" Chris snorted. "Don't blame me for you giving in, Mahina..."

"Giving IN?" Mahina screeched, as Leo orbed back in and went over to Piper, whispering in her ear. "You think I gave into that THING that used to be your brother?"

"That's what I said."

Mahina pushed Chris against the counter, a hand on either side of him. "If you think I WANT to do this you're wrong." She gave Chris a once over with her eyes. "I'm going to enjoy when he figures out I came back to warn you, figured out what happened between us... and kills you." Then Mahina orbed out in a large display of lights, leaving Chris looking shocked.

Piper looked thoughtful; of course, she also kept looking over at her and Chris as Leo whispered in her ear. Then she looked at Leo and said, "Go talk to the other elders, we need to find out what happened..." He nodded orbed out; then Piper looked at Phoebe. "Phoebe, what did you get from both of them?"

"I can't get anything from them... except one thing from Mahina." Phoebe looked at Chris, and then her sisters. "She's scared to death of going back."


	6. Time Running Out

As they arrived at P3, Mahina started to tug on the shirt she was wearing; the sisters had sent Leo ahead to talk to Chris, make sure that there wouldn't be any brotherly interventions this time. Mahina deserved a night out, especially if she was going to marry Wyatt – because after they were married, she would be kept prisoner in the Halliwell attic unless Wyatt called for her. Their union would not be about love, but domination and control.

"I never knew so many people CAME here," Mahian said, awe evident in her voice. She looked at Piper, who had turned back to her as they walked in and was smiling at her. "I mean, I could tell you what he DID to it..."

Piper shook her head. "No, no, that's okay," she said, "I think I'd rather NOT know what my son did to our business thank you." She looked towards the direction of the bar. "There's Leo...."

Mahina knew that they had all kept walking down the stairs, but her eyes were glued to something else; Wyatt was standing right in the middle of the crowd, and he was staring at Mahina. She felt Paige nudging her, and the spell he was holding on her was broken. "Hmm?"

"Who were you looking at?" she asked, smirking as they both spotted Chris coming out of the back, and making mute little motions at Mahina. "Awww, my poor nephew..."

There was a slight chuckle from Mahina's mouth, but she was also very conscious of Wyatt walking over to them... and she tried to head the other way to avoid him. Paige seemed to be a bit confused as she angled away from the bar and everyone else, but there would be time to explain later.

"And here I thought we were friends," the voice said from behind her as they reached an alcove of seating, "I guess I was mistaken." She watched Wyatt sit down in front of her, shaking inside but trying to hard to not let her fear show on the outside. "You've taken too long..."

Mahina scowled. "And here I thought this was just a friendly 'hello, how are you' kind of visit," Mahina said, looking at her hands to avoid looking at Wyatt's face, "I guess I was sadly mistaken."

She didn't notice Wyatt get up, but she noticed him grab her wrists together and force her to look up at him; the look in his eyes was terribly frightening, and she couldn't' help but start shaking. Mahina was going to answer, but she noticed the music had stopped. Wyatt was now smirking at her, but he let her go, and she saw he'd frozen everything around them.

The only ones who weren't frozen were now walking over to them; boy, did Chris look pissed. "Wyatt," he said, "you're not the greatest evil here." He pulled Mahina towards them. "In fact, you're not even potty trained yet."

Mahina was turned towards Chris now, shaking like a fragile leaf. He was rubbing her back with one hand as he used the other one to blow something up behind Wyatt. "You'll all realize what a mistake your actions are once we're married." Wyatt smirked as Mahina slowly turned to face him. "By the way, your father says hi." Without another word, Wyatt shimmered out, and unfroze everything. The words 'your father says hi' rung through Mahina's ears. How could HE know who her father was when she herself didn't?

"THAT was Wyatt?" Piper asked, looking at her sisters, Leo, Chris, and Mahina, "THAT is what my son becomes?" She threw her hands up and walked away, Leo following.

Paige looked at Chris and Mahina huddled together, both now sitting on a couch; she looked at Pheobe, who nodded. A smile spread across her face, and they walked away from the two, neither one noticing that it was just them in that little alcove as Pheobe closed a curtain around them as an act of privacy. They needed their time alone, and now they would talk, really talk.


	7. Forgiveness

Goddess, what was she going to do NOW, Mahina wondered to herself as she paced around the Halliwell attic that night after they returned from P3. It wasn't as if the deal she'd made with Wyatt was like any other betrothal; if she said no to him she would be killed...

"Mahina?"

"Hmm?" Mahina turned around towards the voice and the sight that she saw was cause for her to smile like she hadn't in days; Christopher Perry Halliwell was not only standing there looking very sorry, but he was doing so holding a bunch of flowers. As he walked over to her spot by the window, she said, "I thought you were mad at me..."

Chris handed her the flowers, and then turned his attention towards something out the window. "Look's like you're moving in... sort of," he said, turning back towards her and smiling before moving to stand behind her and show her, "see? The for sale sign isn't there anymore."

Mahina looked back a bit and smiled. "And so the cycle begins..."

After that, they moved away from each other and cleared their throats, each taking a seat on the window; it was more awkward than either of them had probably ever seen the other... "Look Mahina..."

Mahina shook her head, effectively cutting off Chris without saying a word; now was not the time to dwell on things, they both knew it. "No, you were right; I should have told you I was half-whitelighter." She sighed. "There were a lot of things I should have told you before you left..."

"We'll figure something out, I promise Mahi..." Mahina hadn't heard her nickname in so long, and it hadn't been said in so long... it shocked her and Chris both when he said it. "And you should know," Chris continued, opening his arms for Mahina to settle into them, "that you were the only girl, ever, that Wyatt and I fought over."

"Yeah?" Mahina asked, turning towards him, even though her face ended up quite close to his. "Was I really worth it?"

Chris smiled, angled his head, and slipped a hand behind Mahina's head; it caused her to close her eyes and just smile. "Yeah, you were worth it..."


	8. Parentage of Elders

Mahina heard the sound of snoring when she awoke in the attic the next morning, and smiled as she looked next to her and saw Chris; he had always been cute when he slept, but now it was especially cute because of her high emotions. Yawning, she got up and dressed herself in Chris' shirt.

In order to cut her journey to the kitchen, Mahina used her orbing ability and did so into the kitchen; all three Halliwells were sitting around the kitchen table, either eating or drinking something. After one more yawn, she headed straight over to the teakettle on the stove; she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Paige was looking at her.

"What?" she asked, "do I have raccoon eyes?"

Paige shook her head, and watched Mahina pad over to the table and sit down. "Have trouble sleeping?" she questioned, only halfway letting it register that Chris was only a couple steps into the kitchen, and shirtless. "'Cause you look beat..."

"Chris?" Piper's words caused all but Mahina to focus on him, and notice he was shirtless. "I thought you'd gone back to P3..." He gave no answer, and instead went straight to the coffee machine, getting himself a cup and grabbing a couple of muffins on the way to the table.

Phoebe smirked, getting something from both Chris and Mahina; Mahina hoped that Phoebe would at least keep quiet and not say anything. "Kids these days," she said, sipping her coffee, "...no respect for their elders." She leaned forward and looked at Chris and Mahina. "So... good talk lat night?"

'Talk," Mahina said, eyeing Chris, "right, we talked..." She sipped at her tea, wincing when she burnt her tongue; Mahina took the offered muffin from Chris and sat back in her chair as Leo orbed in. "So?"

'They said we have to find your father," Leo answered, looking at Piper, "and that she isn't conceived yet..."

Mahina choked a bit on her muffin; she wasn't WHAT yet? Piper had just conceived, hadn't she? Her mother had had her a month early though... "Well," Piper said, "I guess we could try to find her mother and..."

"No, you can't do that."

'Why the hell not, Leo? It would be nice to solve the mystery for her..."

"He's an elder."

Mahina's eyes went wide – her father was an elder? How was that possible? The only elder who was on earth enough to consort with witches was the head of the magic school, and it couldn't be him... her mother had never even let them KNOW the magic school existed until her oldest sister was old enough to attend. "My father is-is..." She stood from the table. "I've got to go."

After Mahina orbed out of the room, Chris cleared his throat; everyone immediately looked at him with their eyebrows raised. "Um," he said, "there's something I've got to tell you..."


	9. One Person CAN Change the World

Standing on the sidewalk in front of a building with the words "La Belle Femme" written above it's doors, Mahina had no idea what she was doing; she wasn't conceived yet, so their would be no reason for her mother to believe her. Sighing, Mahina took a few steps forward and into the building and looked around. Where was her mother, she wondered as she walked towards the main desk.

"Excuse me," she asked the woman at the front desk, "I was wondering if you could tell me where Marjorie Cromwell is..."

The woman looked up from the book she was reading and gave Mahina the once-over; obviously she wasn't the only person who'd been looking for her mother. "Do you have an appointment with her?" the woman asked, still eyeing Mahina with suspicion, "because she's really busy right now, what with moving into this new place she just got and all..."

Mahina bit her lip. "I might be a little early," Mahina said, spinning her finger a bit behind her back to put her name in the appointment book, "I've got an appointment at five, last one of the day." She gave a small smile to the woman, who looked a bit confused. "I could come back..."

"No, no, I'll check with her..." The woman pressed a button, and spoke into an intercom. "Marjorie, your last appointment of the day just walked in, wants to know if you can manage her now."

A nervous habit, Mahina bit her lip again as they both waited for her mother to answer; what if she was being conceived now? "Eww," mahina thought, shuddering a bit before the woman gave her a small smile, "I really didn't need THAT mental picture right now..."

"Send her back, Vick," her mother's voice said, crackling a bit as it came through the intercom, "I'll space her out over some time if it gets to be too much."

The woman, Mahina now recognizing slightly as Victoria Francis, a woman who took care of her and Chris when they were five or so, smiled at her; Mahina breathed a silent sign of relief as she answered, "She's back by the sinks, just go on back."

On her way back, Mahina tried to think of what she would say. Hi mom, it's me Mahina? No, that might just scare her mother, and she couldn't risk scaring the only woman who could tell her who her father would be. When she got to the door, Mahina stopped; she couldn't do it, couldn't risk her mother trying to blow her to bits...

"I know someone's out there," Mahina's mother said, turning around to her, "and I didn't have a last appointment to the day." Her mother crossed her arms, and settled against one of the sinks. "So start explaining."

"She wants to save the world," a voice said from behind Mahina, "and she might just succeed."

Mahina turned around, and saw not one, but four Halliwells behind her, and one white-lighter. Without answering them, she turned back to look at her mother; the shock on her face evident. This was going to take longer than she thought...


	10. It Got That Far

Over the past hour, a lot of things had happened, one of them being convincing Mahina's mother of everything. Not only was she surprised to learn that Mahina was going to be forth in her brood, but that she would have anymore children at all. When Mahina had been ten years old, she had heard her mother talking to Piper and saying that Mahina had been a miracle after being told she couldn't' have any more. Unfortunately though, the one thing that hadn't been cleared up was the identity of Mahina's father; just like Mahina, her mother was incredibly stubborn and refused to say if she knew any elders.

Chris smirked and looked towards Mahina, who was sitting next to where he was standing by the counter. "So THAT'S where you got it from," he said, "I almost forgot you were all as stubborn as you could possibly be." That earned him a hard jab in the arm by Mahina, to which he just laughed at. "NOW, our mothers will probably do Lamaze together, and we'll have the same sitters..."

"And Wyatt will form an unhealthy obsession with me BEFORE he becomes evil," Mahina finished, sighing and rolling her eyes, "that's just GREAT..." That was when both Mahina and Chris noticed the looks they were getting from the charmed Ones and Mahina's mother; it was like they were suspecting something but wouldn't come outright and say it. "Don't give us those looks," Mahina answered for them both, "we've been around each other practically since birth, it's like we're siblings." She looked at Chris. "Right?"

"Yeah, siblings, right..."

"....who have had sex with each other," Paige said, shivering. "Eww, that's kind of sick actually."

"Funny Paige," Chris said, "really funny." He looked at the table. "I suppose you want to know how it happened, don't you."

Pheobe made a face, Mahina knowing full well that she had gotten a full and uncensored vision of it the second she has touched Mahina's shoulder days before.. "I've already seen the event in full entirety," she said, looking around the room but mostly at Chris and Mahina, "but as to how it actually came ABOUT..."

"Fine," Mahina said, "but it isn't all sweet and light..." She hopped off the counter as Leo orbed back in; her voice was even toned and serious as she gave him a once over. "Good, you're just in time."

As they walked upstairs to the attic, Chris and Mahina leading the pack, Leo leaned over and whispered into the group of women. "Gideon knows Mahina's mother," he said, "but insists there is, and I quote, nothing 'inappropriate' going on between them."

"Wyatt had just killed the youngest of my sisters," Mahina said, giving her mother a terribly sad look as she and Chris stood behind the Halliwell book of shadows, "which I witnessed and heard her tell him with her last breath to go to hell and stay there."

Piper shook her head and looked at Leo; it was going to be their son who did this, their son who would kill and enslave. It would take years to get used to the idea...

"What did he say in response?" Pheobe asked, as no one else seemed able to answer at the moment, "that he would see her there?" She sighed. "Sorry, sorry."

"I don't know, he leaned in and said something before he set her to flames and shimmered out of the house with me." Mahina looked at Chris. "Your turn."

Chris put his arms around Mahina, and stood behind her. "He shimmered to where he was keeping me, in the attic of the Manor," he began, "telling me I had company now. He knew that he'd taken everything we loved away from each other, and thought we were completely destroyed." He kissed Mahina's head. "Which we were, but he wouldn't have left us BOTH alive if he'd been smarter..."

Mahina's mother smiled at Chris, one of those motherly smiles that said she understood; she'd always been good at calming him down, or comforting him. She'd been like his second mother, when Piper and the rest of the Charmed Ones went to go vanquish something, he and Wyatt had always been over at their house. Anyway, it was time for Mahina to continue the story.

"I was howling with tears, tears of pain, anger, and sadness. With my first sister he had taken our family book but had never been able to use it as long as one of us was alive. Someone would always be the eldest member of the family if we weren't ALL gone." Mahina smiled sadly. "I guess his obsession with me actually saved our magic for once." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, Chris picked me up, told me everything would be okay; he had a plan to make everything okay again."

"She told me I was crazy, but then I handed her something." Chris smiled a little. "Her family's book of shadows, which Wyatt had kept in the attic after finding he couldn't use it, couldn't touch it."

"I told him he was crazy, that there was no way to fix what had happened." Mahina looked at her mother. "I didn't think I was powerful enough to use the book."

Mahina's mother nodded, and looked at the three sisters. "It's true," she said, "Mahina would be the youngest of the line, whether or not she was the eldest by status of actually LIVING."

"Anyway," Chris said, " I told her I'd found a spell to go back in time in her book, because with Wyatt changing the book would only let evil touch it."

"He also told me I was the only one who could do it, because it was still my book." Mahina smiled. "I agreed, even though I wasn't totally sure I would get it right." She looked up at Chris. "He was our only hope."

Chris cleared his throat; they were getting close to the time itself. It was perfectly obvious to Pheobe that they were hiding something, even if she could only feel things from them. "So," she said, "you decided to get together one last time before you sent him back to us?"

"Not exactly," Mahina told her, "more like..."

"I told her that I would come back," Chris interrupted, "and I was holding her, and looking at her..."

"He didn't mean to let it get that far."

Piper gasped, followed by the rest of the Charmed Ones and Mahina's mother; Leo was just looking at them both like 'what would have happened if she HAD gotten pregnant?' but didn't really seem to expect them to answer. Mahina looked at her hands, and noticed that there was a ring there, where no ring had been before. She tugged on Chris' sleeve...

"I'm running out of time..."


	11. Sand Through the Hourglass

Well, the ring itself was pretty Mahina supposed; at least it wasn't decorated with skulls and crossbones.... She sighed, wondering how she'd handle being evil, which she didn't think would be very well. Wyatt would probably be able to use the book within a year, as Mahina would throw herself out a window of the Manor and kill herself.

To take her mind off her impending doom, ah, marriage... Mahina asked Paige if they could go shopping; even if it was just window shopping, anything to keep them out of Halliwell Manor for the time being. Chris had promised her that he would go up to the elders with Leo, and ask them what was going on; Piper had smiled and said she'd give him a good talking to herself.

"Earth to Mahina," Paige said, waving a hand in front of Mahina's face, "earth to the Hawaiian moon goddess..." When she finally got Mahina's attention, she smiled a bit, likely knowing the train of her thoughts. "Penny for those precious thoughts of yours"

"Oh, you know," she responded, as they walked by some shops, "thinking of how I'm going to decorate my bedroom in hell, things like that." She gave Paige a weak smile before spotting a dress in a shop window. Her hand reached out to it, and she realized that her hand had gone through the window before quickly drawing it back, gasping. "That's never happened before..."

"Maybe it's a white-lighter power you've got?"

"I don't think so..." Mahina sighed, and stuck her hands in her pockets; maybe her white-lighter abilities were going haywire because she was stressed. There were other possibilities as well, such as she could already be getting powers from Wyatt via the ring. She was sure Wyatt would not want a lapsed witch-white-lighter as his wife, and Mahina could only guess what would happen when they actually went through with it. "But anyway, wanted to get my mind off magic for a day, I need normal."

Paige nodded. "Will do." They slid down a staircase banister and then she turned to Mahina again. "So, how long?"

"How long what?"

"Have you loved him?"

Mahina frowned; maybe she should have asked Pheobe instead, since that question wouldn't really need to be asked concerning that. However, she supposed she at least owed something to Paige for taking her out of the madness of the manor. Clearing her throat, she said, "Probably since I can remember us knowing each other, I guess. We were completely inseperable until our teens."

"Awww, that's so sweet..."

"Yeah, sweet. Except, the circle went like this: I liked him, he liked my sisters, my sisters liked Wyatt, and Wyatt liked me." Mahina smirked. "At least, that's how I assume the circle went. My oldest sister got over the Wyatt thing and got married, shortly before the whole takeover bit."

"That could put a damper on- hold on a second." Paige pulled her cell out of her bag and stepped a little bit away; Mahina could only hear Paige's side of course, but she got enough to understand what was going on. "Uh-huh... yeah she's right here... okay, we'll be back in a little bit."

The second Paige got back over to her, Mahina stood up, and held up her hand. "I know, we have to go back." She grabbed her bag, and started back to the car. "So, why do they need us back?"

"Wyatt's at the manor." Paige smiled sadly at her. "Look's like your time is up."


	12. Just Something I Read

To say that seeing Wyatt at the Manor was a surprise would have been an understatement; that she had the urge to pick up his present self and stop him from crying, certain. However, Mahina hadn't thought that her time would be up so SOON...

"Wyatt, I thought I had more time..." Mahina shuddered as Wyatt touched her face, and backed away. "We aren't married YET," she said, "don't touch me."

Ignoring her, Wyatt continued to stoke her cheek. "Such spirit," he said, smirking, "you're probably a firecracker in bed." That's when he looked at Chris. "Isn't she?"

Chris gave a look towards Mahina, who just stared back at him blankly; everyone in that room knew they'd been together twice, and Chris would bet good money Wyatt knew too. "Even if I knew," he said, "I wouldn't tell you."

With one swipe of his hand, Wyatt threw Chris into a wall. While Mahina saw everyone trying to hold back Leo, all she could think was Wyatt could do that to HER; it made her want to cry. "Oh don't cry, I won't hurt you..." A devious smirk crossed his face. "...much." He looked her over, circling her. "Now, I'll give you an hour to get ready; you can even pick who marries us." His eyes swept over to the Charmed Ones and Chris, then leo. "I'd like to talk to my brother, dad, would you accompany her upstairs?"

Leo looked at Piper, with a regretful look on his face; Mahina saw it, everyone in the foyer saw it. Of course, every good Halliwell in that room knew she was worried about Chris' well-being, even Chris himself knew it; at least he'd die knowing she cared. Leo took Mahina's arm and walked her upstairs. "Come on," he said, "let's let them talk." As soon as they were up in the room, Mahian started to cry, and she looked out of the window and saw the bright sky; she would never see a world like this again, she would never see the people she loved again.. "I know you're worried but... the girls will think of something." He sighed. "Gideon wasn't much help..."

Mahina looked back towards Leo, suddenly getting an idea. "That's it!" She looked at Leo. "He could marry us, couldn't he? The elders can't oppose something if I'm not even CONCEIVED yet." She began to walk around the room, all fired up with her idea. "Could he?"

"He can, if he chooses." Leo eyed her. "What are you thinking?"

"It's just something I read once." She looked out the window of the room at the garden below. "Just something I read."


	13. White Wedding Day Right

This time as Mahina stood in front of the mirror, she was going to be married; there were only four things she hadn't put on, and she was waiting until the very last second to do it. The shift she was wearing, it was short, black, silky, and had slits up the side – probably to please Wyatt even more; the boots on her feet went almost to her knees, and showed off her legs.

Taking a deep breath, Mahina started with everything else; first was the diadem that went in her hair. It would hold the veil in place and allow it to trail behind her. Next the armband, which felt like it seared onto her skin when she put it on. Last was the garter, into which she stuck a dark lighter dagger – one which Wyatt had said he'd taken from one he'd killed, and to be especially careful. Despite the fact that she looked like the queen of all evil, Mahina knew she looked gorgeous.

"Mahina?" Leo's voice said from outside the door, "he wants you downstairs now."

One last deep breath, and Mahina walked to the door, being careful not to catch her veil as she opened the door. Chris and Leo were both standing there, and Chris sort of cocked his head to take a look at her, but Leo held out his arm and said, "Let's go, you've got a wedding to go to."

Mahina took Leo's arm when he held it out, and walked down the Manor steps. The Charmed Ones were standing in the doorway of the parlor, looking at her as she walked down. At least everyone would think of her as evil but pretty, she thought. When they reached the bottom of the stairs she stepped away from leo and went straight over to Wyatt, not looking back to see what was going on with Chris.

"Now that we're all here," Gideon said to Mahina and Wyatt, "let's get started."

Wyatt nodded for his answer, but Mahina paused and examined Gideon; he seemed innocent enough, but there was something familiar about him... oh goddess. His eyes, the same ones she saw every morning when she looked into the mirror were starting back at her. Gideon was her father, and... he was looking at the parlor where baby Wyatt was with this look on his face. Now knowing what she had to do, no matter what the consequences... she nodded.

"Yes," she said, "let's."

"We are gathered here today to marry these two witches," Gideon said, looking between Wyatt and Mahina, before surveying the rest of the parlor, "these white-lighters, to join their powers and families." The way he said it made Mahina want to lose all the food she had ever eaten all over the parlor floor. "In a ceremony that will go down in magical history. One of a kind."

Mahina took a deep breath; the blood oath would mean her certain death, because she wasn't going to slice her wrist; she had a plan to fix everything, even if she had to sacrifice herself. Gideon continued for a while, until he gestured to Wyatt. In response, Wyatt pulled a dagger from under his pant leg, and sliced open his wrist.

She knew what was going to come next, it would be her turn; but she healed Wyatt anyway, she couldn't kill him. Mahina would have to cut open her wrist and trust that Wyatt would heal her before the poison killed her. When Gideon gestured towards her, Mahina took a deep breath.

"Mahina," Wyatt said, "it's your time, you mustn't re afraid I won't heal you." He touched her cheek. "Trust me."

Mahina nodded, and removed the dagger from the garter; Wyatt's eyes had gone wide, as if he'd never noticed her legs before, although she knew she had. Gideon looked eager, and she knew he was the one responsible; if she killed him, then there would be no evil Wyatt, no Chris coming back... no her.

"Mahina, no!"

Chris' screams could only be heard slightly as her world went black. Stabbing Gideon had sliced through her as well, taking her life just as quickly as his; she thanked the gods and goddesses that even as an elder he was vulnerable to dark lighter weapons. Mahina took a last look at the people gathering around her, the last thing she saw was Wyatt's genuinely sad face looking down at hers, mouthing, 'I'm sorry'.

**Author's note: **The Secret Circle trilogy, The Power (vol 3), written by LJ Smith. Read it, and you'll see the diadem, garter, and armband tie – also the black shift... sort of. That's all!


	14. Breakin' Da Rules

There had been a big flash when Mahina had gone still, and when it had cleared things looked different; Gideon and Mahina were both gone, and Wyatt... he was different. The first thing that happened was that Chris lunged at him, and they fought it out for a bit. Then, Leo had said he had to go tell the elders about Gideon – what he had planned, what had happened, everything.

The sisters had gone to the attic after that, Chris and Wyatt had insisted they call Marjorie Cromwell, and that had been done. Even though Mahina had never been conceived, never been born, they remembered her. They ALL remembered her. As they were consoling Mahina's mother, Leo orbed in.

"They aren't happy," he said, looking at all of them, and then Marjorie, "you must know, she sacrificed herself for... well, everyone."

Mahina's mother nodded, and sniffled. That Gideon man must have been terrible, and she'd fancied herself in LOVE with him; that weighed heavily on her soul now, knowing she'd have brought a daughter into the world with him. She didn't think, however, that Mahina had deserved to die.

"Despite the fact that what she did... killing Gideon to stop Wyatt from becoming the Source..." Leo smirked at Wyatt's look; even though he remembered, the fact that Mahina didn't love him and still did what she did obviously amazed him. "...they said they were proud of her." And then he looked at Chris. "They said she would have had twins, a boy and a girl."

"But," Paige said, "her test came back negative, and we took two just to be sure."

Leo smirked. "They said they did it again...." He looked at Chris again. "They want to bring her back, but... they can't allow it."

"Damn what they'll allow," Piper shouted, "our sons love her, Leo; whether it be because she's their friend or their occasional lover... they LOVE her." Piper went all quiet. "They NEED her."

Pheobe looked at Chris, pondering. Mahina had told her he'd bought an empath blocking potion, but it seemed to be wearing off at the moment. Chris was emoting everything under the sun, and all of it was directed at Mahina; he was mad at her for going away, admired her for sacrificing herself just to save Wyatt, and... he loved her.

"What are you LOOKING at me like that for?"

Pheobe walked over to him and smirked before saying, "I know why you fought with Wyatt." She looked at Wyatt. "And YOU just wanted to see him squirm, like the good big brother you are."

"But I thought the..."

"So the potion WAS for you..."

As Chris and Leo started to go at it verbally, Mahina's mother and Wyatt looking on with interest, the Charmed Ones saw a glow coming from behind the book. "Grams," Pheobe said in a hushed whisper, "she needs us to look at the book."

"No," Piper responded, also quietly, as the light got a bit brighter, "I don't think that's it." She nudged Marjorie. "I think the elders decided to break the rules."

Marjorie in turn nudged Wyatt, who nudged Chris; of course, Chris was still too busy arguing with Leo to notice the nudge. "So what if it was for me? Huh?"

"Chris, drop it," Wyatt said, hitting his brother in the arm, "and LOOK, would you?"

Chris turned towards the book, and his eyes went wide. "MAHINA?"

**Author's note:** Sorry so short. But trust me, this chapter looks SO much better than it did originally...


	15. Journey to the Future?

After her return, there had been hugs, and smiles, and then came the arguing; that was why she, Chris, and Wyatt were all sitting on a bench downstairs in the foyer instead of upstairs discussing it with the "adults." Chris thought that Leo had pleaded her case, and that the elders decided she would do enough good to deserve a second chance. Wyatt then joked that Chris' love for Mahina had done it, and Mahina said that it was impossible. Then they had all started to argue and Piper had intervened. It was never a good thing when Chris and Wyatt's mother intervened.

So they were all kicked out of the attic, and orbed to the bench downstairs. "Well," Mahina said, looking form one brother to the other, "at least I saved you, huh?" She looked at Wyatt sideways. "But as a note, next time you become the Source, don't make me dress in this. Ever."

Wyatt smirked, and put an arm around her. "It's a deal," he said, nudging Chris with the back of his hand, "and I still remember your face when she came down those stairs; you liked what you saw."

"So?" Chris smirked, and stuck an arm around Mahina's shoulders as well. "At least we got her back. It would be terrible to remember her, and not to have her."

"Agreed."

Before Mahina could add anything else to the conversation the gaggle of adults came downstairs; they all looked amused as the three Halfling on the bench tried to look totally innocent. Of course, they were just reconnecting, but they had always felt guilty when their parents had shown up after talking even if they hadn't done anything.

"So?" she asked, getting to the question before Chris or Wyatt could. "What's the verdict?"

Leo smirked. "Well, everyone was a little bit right," he told them, "the Elders DID bring you back because I made your case, that only by Gideon's death would Wyatt be saved. But Wyatt was also right in the fact that Chris' love was your saving grace."

"Yeah, but if you two hadn't done what you had," Paige said, earning snickers from everyone but Chris and Mahina, "that wouldn't' have saved you. It's your kids that will do great things."

Mahina put her head in her hands; she didn't want to dwell of THAT particular life decision at the moment, she mostly wanted to forget it ever happened. She was completely head over heels for Chris Halliwell, and he'd just left her. She sighed, and looked at Wyatt, telling him, "I bet you knew that as the Source, huh?"

"Actually," Wyatt told her, "I think I always knew." At Mahina's reaction Wyatt smiled. "I always was fighting to get out, sort of like..."

Piper whistled to interrupt Wyatt from saying the name 'Cole'. Even after a few years it was still a sore subject around the house. "As for getting you guys back," she said, "you'll all have to make the spell to do it. It's not simple like before, it requires more power to send you back."

"We're using Mahina's." When Mahina looked at him, Chris shrugged. "You got all of us BACK in time, didn't you?" He put an arm around her and smiled as Wyatt did the same. "Come on, you have some revising to do."

They all went, as a group, upstairs; Chris hung back with Piper and Leo, and Wyatt did the same. Mahina was up ahead, looking as much a Halliwell as any of the Charmed Ones. It made Mahina's mother smile.

"Well," Piper said, looking at Chris and Wyatt, "I guess this is it, huh?"

Chris stuck his hands in his pockets. "I guess so, at least until I'm born," he told her, "sorry about sending dad to Valhalla..." At Leo's look he shrugged. "I had some issues to work out. Still do."

Piper smiled. "Don't worry about it, he deserved it." At Leo's mouth opening she just put up her hand in a 'talk to the hand' motion. "Oh, don't even try to deny it." She looked at Wyatt. "Oh honey... you became the Source, and... she saved you."

Wyatt nodded, and looked over in the direction of where Mahina was with Pheobe in the attic. "Yeah, she's quite the girl that one." He looked back at Piper. "Guess you can understand why we fought over her, huh?"

"Yeah, but she loves Chris."

Chris sighed; he knew where this was getting at, and he didn't like it one bit. However, now was as good a time as any to admit that everyone was right. He loved Mahina, always had and always would. "FINE," he said, "you want me to say it?"

"It'd be nice," Wyatt said, smirking at his brother, "especially for her."

"Look, I love her; more than anyone else in the world." He grumbled, and crossed his arms. "Could we just go back now?"

Mahina had caught bits and pieces of the conversation, and smirked as she headed away from Pheobe and went over to her mother. Her mother, who would still have her and still raise her. "You be a good girl now, you hear me," she said, wrapping her arms around Mahina, "and don't' change a thing. I want grandchildren with that Halliwell boy."

"MOM," Mahian responded, going so red she looked like a tomato and causing Wyatt and Chris to break out in hysterical laughter, "both of you ARE Halliwell boys, you know."

"Ready?" Pheobe asked, looking at Chris and Wyatt; they were going to go home, and everything would be right again. "I rewrote the spell, giving it a change so you could all go."

Chris nodded. "There's nothing else I ever thought I'd want to do more than get back to that time," he told her, "but now that it's CHANGED..."

Wyatt stuck his hand up. "Yes, we get the point," he said, "we all miss home. Now, let's get going before our parents come back for us."

Mahina smirked, and shook her head; how did she put up with these two again? Oh, that's right, she loved one of them. Stepping between them, she handed them each a stick of incense. "Put them into the flame, and stick them in the holders, as we begin...." She knew they all took a deep breath as they started:

**_Here now these words, here now the rhyme._****_  
_****_Heed the hope within our minds._**

**_Send us home, to where we'll find,_****_  
_****_Our right place in space and time._**

She waved once more, and felt the familiar swoosh of orbing. They were finally going home, and everything was right again. Goddess, she felt sick...


End file.
